This year’s Sundance Film Festival comes to a close today over in Park City, Utah.

Sundance remains an all-important platform for independent films from around the world. Across the many line-ups over the years, we’ve seen the music for shorts, independents and box-office smashes pass through our doors.

Today we’re looking back at some of last year’s outstanding films and series including Rye Lane, Polite Society and Poacher.

An electrifying fusion of martial arts and Desi wedding culture. Reeling off the back of her Channel 4 sitcom We Are Lady Parts, director Nida Manzoor tells a new story that celebrates the unique experience of being a second-generation British-Pakistani immigrant. Starring Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya, the film weaves a tale of ambition, family, femininity and jaw-dropping martial arts.

Ted Lasso composer Tom Howe joined us to record the score at Angel Studios with engineer Mat Bartram and Abbey Road’s Tom Ashpitel and Sarah Meyz.

Polite Society had its world premiere as a Midnight screening at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 21 January and was released in the US and UK on 28 April by Focus Features.

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw mentioned Manzoor as “one of the best debuts in film in 2023” shortly before her win in the Best Debut Screenwriter category at the British Independent Film Awards. In addition, Kansara was nominated for Breakthrough Performance and Arya for Best Supporting Performance.

Watch the film now on Now TV or Amazon Prime Video.

A new Investigative drama series from Delhi Crime director Richie Mehta about the contributions made by Indian forest service officers, NGO workers from the Wildlife Trust of India, police personnel and good Samaritans who risked their lives to investigate the largest ivory poaching ring in Indian history. The dramatization follows events that unfolded in the dense forests of Kerala and the urban jungle that is India’s capital Delhi.

Composer Andrew Lockington joined us to record his score in Studio Two with senior engineer Andrew Dudman, senior recordist Matt Jones, recordist George Oulton and assistant engineers Marta Di Nozzi and Tom Ashpitel.

Poacher had its world premiere as an Indie Episodic at the Sundance Film Festival back in 2023 and will finally see it’s release this year on 23 February on Amazon Prime Video!

“The film will leave you with a smile on your face, a spring in your step and (hopefully) a renewed confidence in next-wave British filmmaking.” – Mark Kermode in The Guardian

Director Raine Allen-Miller made her acclaimed feature debut with this South London romcom starring David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah as two strangers who have a chance encounter after having both been through recent breakups and spend the day getting to know each other.

Sound mixing for the film was carried out in The Mix Stage with composer Kwes, music supervisor David S. Fish, senior mix technician Kobi Quist and mix technician Hannes Wannerberger.

Rye Lane had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 23 January.

This year, Rye Lane received lots of love at the British Independent Film Awards including nominations for Best British Independent Film, Best Director, Best Music Supervision, Best Joint Lead Performance, Breakthrough Performance and more. A special shoutout to Kwes who won Best Original Music.

Even more recently, Rye Lane was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the BAFTAs with Oparah also nominated for Best Actress – best of luck on 18 Feb!

Watch the film now on Disney+.